The invention relates to a connection assembly for frameless eyeglasses. More particularly, the invention relates to a means for securing eyeglass lenses directly to a temple arm.
In existing frameless lens arrangements, the lens is secured to the temple by way of a screw. There are several drawbacks to the current method. The head of the screw, sitting within a seat formed in the front face of the lens, is visible. The slot in the screw head is undesirable from a design standpoint, as it detracts from the xe2x80x98cleanxe2x80x99look sought by designers of frameless glasses. The actual connecting of the lens to the temple by means of turning the screw to the correct tightness requires a careful manual action. Besides adding time and cost to the production process, the tightening must be slowly and carefully completed: overtightening can result in breakage of the lens, and undertightening will result in a loose fit allowing movement of the lens with respect to the temple.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a connecting means which can be quickly and easily applied to secure the lens to the frame.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a connecting means which is esthetically pleasing, allowing for a smooth and virtually seamless outward surface.
It is a still further object to provide a connecting means which can manually applied to secure the lens to the temple, while avoiding the danger of breaking of the lens.
Accordingly, the invention comprises a lens having a hole for receiving a connecting means for connecting the lens to the temple. The temple end where connection takes place is preferably shaped as an open cylinder. A tubular collar of deformable plastic resides within the cylinder of the temple. A plug having a longitudinal stem, and a broad head on the upper end thereof, acts as the connection means between the lens and the temple. The stem has on its lower portion a series of radial extensions, preferably discrete spaced-apart annular extensions, which can be retained in a uniform manner by the collar. The extensions, which are of a harder material than the deformable material of the collar, extend outwardly with a diameter slightly greater than the inside diameter of the collar. Thus, upon assembly, the stem is placed through the hole of the lens, into the collar. Force applied to the plug allows the larger extensions to pass through the collar. Upon complete insertion of the plug into the collar, the collar retainingly grips the stem, and hence the lens, against further axial movement. A preferred embodiment has upper and lower flange extensions of the collar, which act, respectively, as a protective buffer between the temple end and the lens, and as a type of spring for allowing limited axial movement so as to provide a degree of controlled flexibility of the assembly. The upper face of the head is preferably smooth and flat, requiring no slot for a screwdriver, and can therefore reside flush with the surface of the lens to provide a generally uniform surface of the lens.